World Timing

Worldtiming (Ultra accurate world timing services) is an EU SME INSTRUMENT grant (SME Instrument Phase I number 673403 and SME Instrument Phase II number 725490) awarded to Seven Solutions. The projects aims at distributing ultra-accurate and traceable timing through optical fibres. The goal is to provide timing information for the Galileo Time System and for customers requiring highly dependable distributed synchronization applications….

SME INSTRUMENT

Seven Solutions, winner of the SME Instrument Innovators Summit for the best pitch award: DIGITAL!

World Timing Phase II

SME Instrument

The first year of SME Instrument World Timing Phase II have been completed satisfactorily.

PTP interoperability achieved.

Industrial designs in progress. Security against GNSS receivers signal vulnerabilities and guarantee an ultra-accurate time distribution using existing telecommunication networks.

SME Instrument

Worldtiming (Ultra accurate world timing services) is an EU SME INSTRUMENT grant (SME Instrument Phase I number 673403 and SME Instrument Phase II number 725490) awarded to Seven Solutions. The projects aims at distributing ultra-accurate and traceable timing through optical fibers. The goal is to provide timing information for the Galileo Time System and for customers requiring highly dependable distributed synchronization applications. The target customers include government authorities as EGA (for the Galileo surface segment) and customers in Telecom, Smart-Grid, stock market and highly accurate positioning markets (conventionally dependent on satellite signals). The use of terrestrial timing distribution allows National Metrology Institutes (NMIs) in charge of Galileo Time Validation Facility to compare their clocks and steer to UTC, maximizing the traceability of Galileo System Time and enhancing its accuracy. In addition, this allows deploying a terrestrial time network for industrial applications, traceable with respect to UTC and Galileo, robust against GNSS signal vulnerabilities and providing redundant time services for critical infrastructures.

About:

Seven Solutions will provide the next generation of timing distribution links that will make Galileo infrastructure the most accurate and dependable GNSS solution. This will make EU the most advanced place for emerging positioning applications (indoor/outdoor) and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) as well as a safer area thanks to dependable timing resources for critical infrastructures. The World Timing II objectives include the full development of industrial backup solutions to current GNSS and offer traceable and ultra-accurate timing through long distance links.

Concepts

Redundancy

anemptytextlline

Redundancy is an essential characteristic to guarantee a reliable time transfer in a network. In fact, redundancy enables a synchronization system to continue operating even when some of its components are damaged or become not operative.

Time Transfer

anemptytextlline

Time Transfer is the distribution of a shared time reference among different sites. The accuracy must be consistent with the nature of the application requiring time transfer. For example, in critical infrastructures ultra-accurate time transfer over long distancies can minimize the impact of a disaster caused by incoherent time references. For this reason ultra accurate time transfer and synchronization must be guaranteed. The White-Rabbit (WR) technology has been proposed as alternative to current solutions to provide deterministic sub-nanosecond synchronization using gigabit Ethernet standard. For more information about WR please click on White Rabbit Technology.

Distributed system

anemptytextlline

A distributed system can be defined as a collection of computers, instruments or tools, connected through a network and whose activities can be coordinated to perform a certain tasks in a escalable way. Nowadays, most of these infrastructures, classified as critical by governments, depend on timing which in case of failure could have a catastrophic impact. Examples include, but are not limited to, nuclear reactors, power stations, financial networks (trusted time-stamping), and critical telecom facilities.

Up to date project status

Experiments

anemptytextlline

After evaluating different options, target experiments and the system architecture have been carefully defined and the electronic components and related devices have been acquired. The work teams have been created and some early datasheets and documentation have been prepared. Seven Solutions ensure industry best practices to keep providing the most effective cutting-edge time transfer and synchronization solutions.

Disemination

anemptytextlline

A dissemination task is being continuously carried out through social media, press notes, website, and events. In addition papers have been published and promoted online.

Awards

anemptytextlline

Recently Seven Solution received the best pitch award at the SME Instrument Innovators Summit. Seven Solution's pitched about how to solve synchronization issues using sub-nanosecond time transfer and frequency time distribution and also about its impact on different market segments. For more information visit: SME video.